Renowned Far and Wide in a Single Battle

Beneath the long night, the dazzling heavenly light gradually faded, and heaven and earth transformed once more into an abyss. Wherever there were no fire springs, heavy, inky blackness reigned. Sun Chengjun was unable to move, drenched in blood, with a fist-sized hole pierced clean through his chest from front to back, while fine, dense fissures covered his entire body. Had he not reinforced himself beforehand to maintain the state of Golden Body Permanently Fixed, his physical form would have exploded long ago. Sun Chengjun felt an overwhelming sense of humiliation. At this moment, he could only see his opponent's feet and the straight, powerful lower legs standing right in front of him. Yet he could not even raise his head, suppressed into kneeling on one knee upon the ground. This posture of forced submission made him want to smash his head against the earth; fainting dead away would have been preferable. "Tonight, why did you even bother coming here?" Qin Ming asked. Sun Chengjun's head throbbed with excruciating pain, feeling as if it would burst apart. That hand resting on him hardly seemed to exert any force, yet it was already causing distinct cracking sounds from his crown. He was furious, his chest ready to ignite, yet equally weighed down by bitter helplessness, which finally gave way to fear. He had fallen squarely into death's shadow. At the slightest misstep, his skull would be caved right open. Qin Ming's aura was ethereal and detached, like an immortal from heaven stroking the crown of a mortal. The contrast between the two opponents' current states was staggering. Sun Chengjun was a man who prized face above all, yet here he was, chewing the bitter fruit of defeat in the most humiliating manner imaginable, reduced to such a wretched state. He desperately wanted to rise, but it felt as though the entirety of Feixian Mountain weighed down upon his back. He could not straighten his spine in the slightest, and his knee pressed against the earth felt on the verge of splintering to pieces. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he had suffered a miserable, crushing defeat, his life and death hanging entirely on his opponent's whim. Silence blanketed the surrounding area. Witnesses to this sight were briefly dazed, finding it difficult to believe their eyes as they stared speechlessly at the scene. An elite disciple from Past Rulai's lineage possessed an extraordinarily exalted status, normally enveloped in a divine halo—yet now, he had... knelt. "A Spirit Field cultivator slaying upward against a Mind Lamp master... even calling it an upset from below fails to capture the glory of such a feat! After all, he defeated an inheritor of Chaos force!" Someone murmured, their voice rising toward the end. Even now, it all felt like a dream, their tone filled with shock. It had been an unfathomable battle. "Qin Ming is still just a teenager, yet he's defeated an heir to a so-called orthodox lineage who is significantly older than him! This exhilarating clash tells the world that there's no need to hold blind faith in the blazing prodigies from beyond the territory!" These whispers quickly ignited the crowd, and clamoring voices blended together, rising in wave upon wave. "Heavens, Qin Ming won! I was actually worried for him earlier, but who would have thought that despite how fierce the battle was, not a drop of blood stained his sleeves, nor did a speck of dust touch him? He completely overpowered his opponent!" Shanhe Academy erupted into heated discussion. Excitement was written across countless young faces; watching this battle had made their blood boil and stirred immense emotion. "Senior Brother Qin Ming is phenomenal!" "Tonight's battle has secured fifty years of prestige for our Shanhe Academy! Even after many years have passed, this battle will surely be remembered!" Within the academy, the boys and girls were the most ecstatic, speaking with passionate zeal. Adoration showed on many faces, and they felt honored by his victory. Even some of the elders beamed and nodded approvingly. A duel between such top-tier talents highlighted Qin Ming's extraordinary superiority all the more. "Truly worthy of being a seed of our Immortal path!" an elder exclaimed. Immediately, someone nearby could not hold back and snapped, "Bullshit, old fart, do you have no shame at all? He is clearly the figurehead of the Newborn path!" "As everyone knows, he is also an immortal seed! Besides, you saw it just now—he used the Saber-in-Mouth Stance from the Golden Crow Illuminates the Night Classic, a rare scripture from the immortal lands not lightly shown to outsiders!" "Well, if you put it that way, I feel that what he unleashed at the critical moment resembled my esoteric sect's Scripture of Harmonizing Body and Dao, tearing open the Past Rulai Field with his bare hands." Several elders bantered and argued with smiles on their faces. Qin Ming's resounding victory swept through Shanhe Academy like a hurricane and swiftly spread across Kunling City, stirring a massive sensation despite the lateness of the night. Amid crisp cracking sounds, Sun Chengjun's skull, like delicate porcelain squeezed by terrifying power, sprouted dense networks of fissures. His heart pounded in sheer terror, feeling as though his skull might fly apart at any moment and leave his brains splattered across the dirt. This brush with the brink of death froze him completely, not daring to offer the slightest resistance. He feared disturbing Qin Ming's control of force and accidentally causing his own head to burst. "Get up," Qin Ming said, releasing his hold and no longer stroking his crown like an immortal. Even though he felt immense distaste for this person, killing him outright under the watchful eyes of the crowd would have been inappropriate; crushing his skull slightly was enough for now. However, if this man failed to know his place, their next encounter would be the day he died! Sun Chengjun dared not make any reckless movement. His skull was extremely fragile, crisscrossed by over a hundred cracks; at the slightest carelessness, it might shatter on the spot. Adjusting his breathing, he did not dare deploy the overbearing Hunyuan force, switching instead to the gentlest type of heavenly light, carefully enfolding his skull and nourishing it with spiritual substance. Only after a short while did he dare stand. What was more, he did not dare feel anger; he had to remain calm, lest his head explode. Kunling City was home to many academies and dao arenas, such as Taiyi Academy and Feixian Academy, boasting countless young disciples. Masses of people swarmed in, creating a tremendous clamor. Those who had previously crossed paths with Qin Ming were now filled with mixed emotions. "This man has truly soared into the heavens. In just a year and a half, he has almost become someone from an entirely different world than us," Gan Jincheng of the Tianpeng Dao Arena sighed. Jiang Ruoli of Bodhi Academy looked on with a complicated expression. "It really is unbelievable. Back then, although he was very formidable, he was still of our generation. But now... his opponents are already fourth-realm experts." "Renowned far and wide in a single battle!" murmured Luo Lianqing, the Immortal Flower of Feixian Academy. Qin Ming had been famous before, but this duel was different. Clashing publicly with a formidable genius of the fourth realm lifted things to a whole new level, showcasing truly terrifying combat talent. Once he actually reached the fourth realm, would he be able to trade blows with older-generation figures? "As expected of Shanhe Academy's most formidable junior brother!" Liu Hanya said. Back when the academies selected geniuses to explore the secret realm in search of fortune, they had suffered a surprise assault from demon seeds. Fortunately, Qin Ming had stepped in; otherwise, they would all have perished that day. Seed figures from both the esoteric sect and the Immortal path were present in person, their minds somewhat numb. They felt that this fellow was uncanny, repeatedly shattering what his acquaintances knew of him. Even the top divine seeds and immortal seeds of the fourth realm felt a mounting sense of urgency. If Qin Ming's cultivation caught up and he stepped into the Mind Lamp domain, it would be equivalent to a terrifying monster crashing into their circle. Dressed in white, Helian Yaoqing was disguised as a dashing young gentleman. Divine radiance flowed in her beautiful eyes. The youth she had once wanted to take under her wing had already begun to show the bearing of a future colossus; such a youth could never be controlled. "Mind yourself," Qin Ming said flatly. In truth, this was a warning: there would be no next time; another clash, and he would send him to the grave. Sun Chengjun's heart was shrouded in gloom, as though trapped in a spiritual hell. Neither grief, fury, nor humiliation could adequately describe his current state of mind. Without question, he was the most dejected person tonight, having suffered an abysmal loss that stripped him bare of face, pride, and substance. Like a sleepwalker, he stumbled away into the distance. Earlier, he had arrived uninvited, commanding Qin Ming to leave with him without brooking refusal; now, his self-assurance and domineering manner had been thoroughly beaten out of him. He could already imagine how pathetic his reputation would become once the news spread completely—he had been reduced entirely to a stepping stone to highlight that youth. In this single fight, the dazzling halo upon him had been torn to shreds. That night, in the various academies and prominent towers throughout Kunling City, everyone was talking about the matter; the shockwaves far exceeded imagination. Of course, not everyone had gone to watch the fight; some remained composed and calm. "The elite disciple of Past Rulai's lineage is rather unimpressive, losing so miserably," remarked Gao Chan, clad in black, inside Yujing Tower. Su Moran said calmly, "One can only say this Qin Ming is somewhat remarkable." She was extraordinarily beautiful, carrying an air of scholarly elegance, her body enshrouded in a haze of fairy light. Wherever she went, she would inevitably draw eyes and become the center of attention. Gao Chan said, "A pity that the upper ceiling of the path he walks was locked down by Yujing long ago. In the end, he will inevitably have to step into the drudge domain." A soft celestial glow covered Su Moran's flawless face. With a cool, indifferent expression, she said, "Since antiquity, how many geniuses have there been? Those who cannot blaze trails and open new paths are ultimately nothing more than dust in the wind of history. Within three lifetimes, hardly anyone will remember them. To break free from that cage is easier said than done." They hailed from the earthen city, each possessing a mysterious and formidable background. That evening, publications like the night papers and world papers worked overtime drafting articles, eager to report on the great battle at Shanhe Academy as quickly as possible. Evidently, by tomorrow's "dawn," the cities under the night sky would be talking of nothing else. Shanhe Academy gradually quieted down as the throng of onlookers dispersed. Sister Crow sat over a pile of day gold, giggling foolishly non-stop, before finally flapping her wings and delivering a handful to Qin Ming. "Don't look down on it—it's the thought that counts!" That night, Xiang Yiwu's furrowed brow relaxed. After watching the fight, he conversed with Qin Ming for a long time, a smile emerging on his face. "Their Chaos force has glaring strengths and glaring flaws. Calling it Past Rulai force is far more fitting!" Cold winds blew, snowflakes drifted down, and the lake outside Qin Ming's courtyard froze over once more. In the dead of night, an aged figure appeared, carrying a faintly glowing cloth bag as he arrived outside Qin Ming's residence. "Sun Chengjun is more than a hindrance and less than useless!" the visitor muttered under his breath. His name was Wu Mochen. In truth, Wu Mochen felt quite guilty. As the senior martial brother, and having brought an exotic treasure, he was supposed to back up the plan in secret to ensure complete success. But because of friction between him and Sun Chengjun, he had not intervened right away. Then things spiraled out of control: Yu Gensheng suddenly appeared, and the upper echelon of Shanhe Academy was alerted. Compared to his junior brother, Wu Mochen lacked youthful vigor. His origin had been injured; his temples were white as snow, and heavy wrinkles lined his brow, making him look older than his true age. Now, he sought to mend the fold after the sheep had strayed and make up for his mistake. No matter what, he wanted to take Qin Ming away tonight. This was the youth named specifically by the Past Rulai Hall; he dared not botch the mission. "Time to end this," Wu Mochen muttered. The palm-sized cloth bag in his hand was delicate and brilliant, runes beginning to flow over its translucent surface. He loosened the drawstring at the mouth of the bag and pointed the opening directly toward Qin Ming's residence. He intended to use the exotic treasure to sweep the youth directly into the bag! Suddenly, his body stiffened slightly. He felt as though a primordial beast had locked its gaze onto him. He whipped around and saw a wizened old man standing in the distance—emaciated, with eyes like two small suns illuminating the void, more than a hundred strands of hair whipping in the night mist. "You thieves really never give up, resorting to such vile, underhanded means! Are you not afraid of equivalent retaliation, or of being torn completely to shreds?" Yu Gensheng spoke coldly, closing in at extreme speed. At the same time, a divine lamp hung high above his head, and outside his body, a tangible spirit field expanded violently, like a divine sea spreading through the void, pressing forward with crushing force. Wu Mochen could no longer care about the youth. He turned the mouth of the bag toward Yu Gensheng, aiming it at this veteran grandmaster. Yet the mind lamp opposite blazed bright, tangible light mist steaming up to send chills through him, as though countless flying swords were cleaving through the air, forcing him to retreat swiftly. Throughout, Wu Mochen fought back using the cloth bag. Even so, the expanding spirit field still jolted his vital energy and blood into turmoil, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. Horrified, Wu Mochen dared not delay any longer, fleeing into the distance like a phantom of the underworld. Suddenly, Yu Gensheng halted and ceased attacking. Ahead, a young maiden in white appeared, ethereal and otherworldly, resembling the Mysterious Maiden of the Nine Heavens descending into the night. In an instant, accompanied by ringing metallic clangs, she donned a special suit of exotic metal armor, blocking his escape. Wu Mochen was furious. Were the youths of today truly so conceited? Even she dared block his way! Li Qingyue said nothing. Raising her hand, Six Ding Divine Fire flew from her slender fingertips. With a resounding boom, a swath of heavenly fire seemed to fall from the night sky, engulfing the area ahead. Wu Mochen's pupils contracted. He instantly raised the cloth bag in his hand, intending to suck away that terrifying fire. The armor on Li Qingyue rippled like liquid waves; a portion decomposed in an instant, flying out like gentle moonlight. In thread-like, gossamer strands, it pierced straight through the cloth bag in a heartbeat. Amid splashing blood, Wu Mochen groaned. The exotic treasure in his hand was punctured and shattered instantly, while his own body was impaled as well. Bound by dense liquid threads, he was rendered completely immobile. He was awestruck and horrified. That was a treasure-grade weapon coveted even by Past Rulai, a legendary artifact, and he had actually run into it! Immobilized and bound, Wu Mochen felt as though dozens of immortal lances had impaled him, pinning him suspended in the air, leaving him unable to struggle. ... In the deep night, within the Past Rulai Hall, a terrifying, colossal figure abruptly opened his eyes. They were like two frightening lanterns kindled in the darkness, emitting an intimidating glare. He spoke: "Who would have thought that in the dead of night, a distinguished guest would come calling?" In an instant, others in the vicinity of the Past Rulai Hall were also alarmed, sensing a behemoth drawing near. The oppressive presence left everyone palpating with fear, their souls trembling, so breathless they were practically suffocating. Who was this? Who dared trespass into the Past Rulai Hall so brazenly? "Lu Zizai?" nearby onlookers guessed with shocked faces. They sensed a surging aura of life, boundless and all-reaching, blanketing this area. Inside the grand ancient hall, Past Rulai sat calmly. A faint smile appeared on his face, which was marked by a centipede-like scar. "Teeming with vitality... what a fresh, living body." Suddenly, his expression changed again, because within that richly vibrant vitality and blood, there lingered threads of decay—supremely terrifying and eerie, as though poised to drag the entire Past Rulai Hall into an abyss. "Are you looking for my boy Zizai?" In the darkness, a majestic figure standing as tall as the heavens seemed to pierce through layer upon layer of mist, approaching this place. "You are... Lu Yu!" Past Rulai said. "This old man has come in person, and you still haven't come out to receive me!" In the night mist, that terrifying figure standing upright between heaven and earth brought a single finger down, utterly blotting out the entire Past Rulai Hall. Between heaven and earth, blood-colored lightning intertwined as torrential rain mingled with ice and snow poured down in sheets.